Adverse childhood experiences and adult mood problems: evidence from a five-decade prospective birth cohort
Open accessAbstract
Background Retrospectively recalled adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with adult mood problems, but evidence from prospective population cohorts is limited. The aims of this study were to test links between prospectively ascertained ACEs and adult mood problems up to age 50, to examine the role of child mental health in accounting for observed associations, and to test gender differences in associations. Methods The National Child Development Study is a UK population cohort of children born in 1958. ACEs were defined using parent or teacher reports of family adversity (parental separation, child taken into care, parental neglect, family mental health service use, alcoholism and criminality) at ages 7-16. Children with no known (n = 9168), single (n = 2488) and multiple (n = 897) ACEs were identified in childhood. Adult mood problems were assessed using the Malaise inventory at ages 23, 33, 42 and 50 years. Associations were examined separately for males and females. Results Experiencing single or multiple ACEs was associated with increased rates of adult mood problems after adjustment for childhood psychopathology and confounders at birth [2+ v. 0 ACEs - men: age 23: odds ratio (OR) 2.36 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.7-3.3); age 33: OR 2.40 (1.7-3.4); age 42: OR 1.85 (1.4-2.4); age 50: OR 2.63 (2.0-3.5); women: age 23: OR 2.00 (95% CI 1.5-2.6); age 33: OR 1.81 (1.3-2.5); age 42: OR 1.59 (1.2-2.1); age 50: OR 1.32 (1.0-1.7)]. Conclusions Children exposed to…
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Moyes, E., Nutman, G., & Mirman, J. H. (2022) · Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma · doi:10.1007/s40653-022-00454-5 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
- Authors
- Selous, C., Kelly-Irving, M., Maughan, B., Eyre, O., Rice, F., & Collishaw, S.
- Affiliations
- Cardiff University (GB)
- King's College London (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Collishaw, Stephan
- Venue
- Psychological Medicine
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2019-10-04
- Volume
- 50
- Issue
- 14
- Pages
- 2444-2451
- ISSN
- 0033-2917 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-8978
- OpenAlex
- W2977302256
- Cited by
- 34
- References
- 15
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 2
- FWCI
- 4.35
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- Licence
- Locations
- Psychological Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- ORCA Online Research @Cardiff (Cardiff University) (acceptedVersion)
- HAL (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- ORCA Online Research @Cardiff (Cardiff University) (submittedVersion)
- Research Portal (King's College London) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Medical Research Council (MR/L010305/1)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Social Sciences › Safety Research › Child Welfare and Adoption
- Keywords
- adverse childhood experiences, depression, National Child Development Study, child mental health, parental separation, parental neglect, family adversity, gender differences, early prevention
- MeSH terms
- Adult Survivors of Child Adverse Events, Adverse Childhood Experiences, Adolescent, Adult, Affect, Child, Major Depressive Disorder, Female, United Kingdom, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, Prospective Studies, Risk Factors, Logistic Models, Young Adult
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